Loose Feather duster

dib · Jan 3, 2015

I have a feather duster that was doing good then I rearranged my tank a little. I notice it floating in the water and now I'm not seeing it. Would they release themselves from their tube if they are not in a happy place? Could It still be alive somewhere?

Eckolancer · Jan 3, 2015

Yes when stressed out the will leave the home they made and in a week build a new one. Also they can loose the crown and will grow a new one

reef lover · Jan 3, 2015

what you saw floating was the crown, that is the feeding apparatus of the worm which lives in the tube, they will loose it if stressed and eventually grow a new one, but they will also drop it if dying. hopefully youll see him pop back up somewhere.

dib · Jan 3, 2015

Thanks. Where is a good place for it if I was to move the tube. .. light, current.

reef lover · Jan 3, 2015

i personally like to bury the tube either in sand or n rockwork. they are solely filter feeders so they need a place with good flow but not too much flow that it folds the crown, and ive found for long term life they should be spot feed directly with a filter feeding type of food.

Eckolancer · Jan 4, 2015

I have mine it pretty high flow for the last few years. I have even noticed a couple babies that have popped up in the tank as well as the sump. The ones in the sump are on the glass and have debated on scraping them off placing them in the main display. I do feed reef roids and some other micro filter foods when I remember them.

Eckolancer · Jan 31, 2015

So I scraped mine off the glass and placed him in the display he is doing great and already attached to a coral and rock.

dib · Feb 12, 2015

Update
The crown grew back and looks great.
Question tho.....
Does the tube part have to be buried in the sand? I keep burying it but it keeps coming out....does it really matter?